“Today” host Sheinelle Jones‘ first day on “Today With Jenna & Sheinelle” was with filled with emotions as she shared a newly-discovered text message from her late husband, Uche Ojeh.
Sheinelle Jones Shares Text From Her Late Husband
Jones and co-host Jenna Bush Hager were introduced together for the first time during the fourth hour of NBC’s “Today.” After a moment of celebration, Jones described moments over the last week that she felt were “God winks,” leading her to believe her new role was destiny.
“I did not plan to share this, but I shared it with Jenna, and she’s having me share it with you,” Jones began. “Uche always felt like when we were in college, like, ‘Oh you should do a show, you should do a talk [show].’ He just felt like I should, and I used to be like, ‘Whatever, whatever.'”
She continued, “When Hoda announced that she was leaving, he was really sick and he wasn’t talking as much. But I could talk to him, and he could send me emojis and stuff like that, and that would be how we talked.”
Jones went on to share a text message she found from her late husband from 2024, revealing a screenshot of a news article announcing Hoda Kotb’s exit from “Today With Hoda & Jenna.” Ojeh had included a series of thumbs up, fingers crossed and muscle flex emoji.
“It was an article that said that Hoda was going to depart, and he felt like it was my turn to shine and to try,” Jones said through tears. “That was almost two years ago. What you don’t see is that I didn’t respond to that…It didn’t even register for me. He kept trying to get back to it, and I was like, ‘No, we have to save your life first. I don’t want to talk about me. I want to talk about you.’ So now, it just feels like confirmation because here we are two years later and he’s like, ‘Told you.'”
Sheinelle Jones’ Husband Passed Away in 2025
Ojeh and Jones met while they were both students at Northwestern University. Following their 2007 wedding, the couple welcomed three children: Sons Kayin and Uche, and daughter Clara.
After her husband was diagnosed with an aggressive form of glioblastoma in 2023, Jones took a family medical leave beginning in November 2024. On May 23, 2025, “Today” announced Ojeh’s passing.
Godwinks are so special. Literally in tears. I read all the godwinks books and saw the godwinks movies.